Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-04-20

"Then console yourself, for neither
love nor hate him."
Mrs. Randolph said no more, but left
the room with feeling OF vague uneasi-
ness.
"If she would only forget that mani
| How can tell whether she loves him or
noti How eau / tell how she will meet
him! But meet him she must, poor, ras-
sionate-hearted girl! and no one can sps-
| tain her"
The birthnight .Jete passed of success
fuly. Francla was lovely in garnet velvet
and cream satin, and her arms and neck
| cleaned like pink-tinted marble; but her
| face wore its usual statuesque coldncss-
the GOODNESS that had only become
habitual since her recovery from her ILL
ness.
An English gentleman was much at
| tracted by her great beauty, but her
| frigidity rcpeled him.
''She has no soul she freezes me.n
"She is all soul. You do not possess the
magic key to open the casket" said a
| friend.
The Englishman assented indifferently,
and went his way; but fate had marked
him. 1t was during the summer, while
the Randolph family were residing at
man whom she had once so madly wor-
shipped. He came purposely to see her
II supposed, Francia, you had heard
OF my arrival and thought owed it to
| you to see you once MORE" he said, as
she entered the room and he rose to greet
her.
"Whyi" she asked, looking not at him,
but at his card which she had brought
with her. She did not take the hand he
held out to her. Man Of the world that he
was, he seemed TO become confused at
her simple query.
my reason should be plain to you"
"WhyF she asked again, slowly tearing
into bits the card in her hand.
He shifted his position, then came up to
her and laid his fingers on her destructive
ones.
'Sit down. 1t is ridiculous for US to go
on this way, and l have much to say to
you"
She freed her hand from his trembling
fingers, and for the first time lifted her
eyes to his.
II can not understand what you could
possibly have to say to me that would suf-
6ciently interest me to such an extent that
should be kept standing long. Do YOU sit
down, but prefer to stand.
he wet his dry lips, and at first his voice
was husky, but as he proceeded it became
clearer and stronger.
"Francia, have come to beg your par
don. You would not give me my freedom
when / asked, or, rather, took it. and now
am glad that you did not. / thought I
was tired of your love-I thought could
easily forget you. / went so far as to
make love to Genie Renard, the woman
for whose sake you so bitterly upbraided
me the day we parted; but she laughed at
me, and then knew how 1 had wronged
you. would have gone back to you then,
but pride was stronger than love. Iwent
abroad, meaning to return in a year, but
two years went by before / could decide
what was best for me to do Now have
come back-I ask you TO be my wife-I ask
you TO love me and forgive any suffering
may have caused you"
He went closer TO her, but she put out
one hand imperatively In the other hand
the tiny bits of his visiting card lay in a
confused mass
"Do you think you could piece together
this card and make it as spotless, as brill
iant, as perfect, as it was one hour agor'
| she asked -
His hand closed spasmodically over
hers.
"Francia do not torture me-do not be
cruel! know that you love me"
",
out her hand and scattering the torn card
in white shower over the floor. snow I
must speak plainly. Just as impossible as
It Is for you to restore the bloom TO the
grape which you have handled too rough
ly, just as impossible it is for me To love
you. Once 1 would have given my life for
you-once would have been your slave
for sweet loves sake. But you outraged
my love, and turned my worship to indif
terence, which is more to be feared than
hate. gave you dd-and lost all! And
now have nothing to give you, or any
man. Despair has darkened my soul.
slain my youth, killed joy, and hope, and
faith! Never again will i Lowell Never
again will woman love you as did; but
you threw 1T away-you trampled it under
your feet as if it were something too base
Tor use! And now you stoop to regain it.
ana tell you 1t is too late, too later'
SLOWLY turning, she left him. He stool
Wlth MS head bent upon his hand for a
moment, then he, too, left the room.
Too late, forever too late, to win the
priceless boon Of this zone that was a
woman, SIR"
Five years afterward Francla Randolph
married The Englishman, Frederick Leigh
he who had said she had no soul. She
told him she had no love to give him, or
any other man.
Il would rather have your liberation
than any other woman's love-" he pro-
tested.
But she was not glad at his answer, for
It seemed, indeed, as if she had lost the
power to feel. But as the years passed.
her tender affection for her hus band be-
came wonderful thing. If she had lost
love she had gained broader virtue. Who
IS it that has said: ''Love is best of alr'l
How little he knew!